UPDATE: A Chambersburg Area Senior High School teacher was arrested Thursday for allegedly distributing images created via computer by applying students' faces to images of naked bodies.

Jeffrey Schmutzler, Fayetteville, was arrested at his home - where he is the sole occupant - on charges of distribution and receipt of material involving the sexual exploitation of minors alleged in a criminal complaint filed Thursday in federal court, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania.

Schmutzler appeared before Chief Magistrate Judge Martin C. Carlson Thursday evening in the federal courthouse in Harrisburg, where he waived his preliminary hearing. He is being held by U.S. Marshals on $60,000 secured bail.

Prosecutors alleged Thursday in court that in addition to the doctored images, Schmutzler also wrote sexualized fictional stories from the students' perspectives. Officials did not indicate where he obtained the photos.

His home computer and storage units, which were seized, allegedly had four terabytes of storage, most of which were filled with pornographic images, prosecutors said Thursday. Additionally, he owned two life-sized silicone dolls.

"The search warrant was based on a review of records contained in an international company's computer database," according to the criminal complaint.

Further information contained in the complaint is sealed.

Chambersburg Area School District officials were notified of the arrest and said they were awaiting results of the investigation.

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"This morning an employee of the district was taken into custody at his home by federal postal inspectors," said Chambersburg Area School District Superintendent Joe Padasak. "We are certainly deeply upset about this incident and we are taking measures to keep our students and staff safe."
Padasak said Thursday night that the district has assembled a crisis team and will have counselors available to speak with students today.

Schmutzler, a Spanish teacher at CASHS, has been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, he said. The district had no further comment until the result of the investigation.

He is currently being represented by Lori J. Ulrich, assigned from the Federal Public Defender's Office in Harrisburg, according to the criminal complaint.

The case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations and the Pennsylvania State Police. The prosecutor assigned to the case is Assistant U.S. Attorney Daryl F. Bloom of Harrisburg.
U.S. Attorney Peter Smith requests that anyone with information related to this matter call U.S. Postal Inspector Michael Corricelli at 257-5581.
Schmutzler has no other charges in Pennsylvania, according to court records.

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Samantha Cossick can be reached at scossick@publicopinionnews.com and 262-4762.